Fast charging means lower cost for electric bus lines

While Shanghai runs its electric buses in public transport with EUR 80,000 chargers on every bus stop, Belgrade chose a less expensive solution. Željko Milković, chief executive of Serbian capital’s public transportation company GSP Beograd, told Večernje novosti newspaper the concept for the system to be introduced in June is based on ultracapacitors with fast charging to be installed only at terminals.

Five vehicles will carry passengers in intervals of twelve to thirteen minutes on a busy route of eight kilometres in the central part of the city. The line is longer than initially planned but, according to the article, it is still half the range for one charge. The buses will need to spend five to eight minutes at the terminal, while one service vehicle will be used as backup, equipped with a mobile charger.

The buses produced by China’s Higer Bus Company Limited, partner of Scania, cost EUR 454,000 each, before value-added tax. They have a lifetime of 12 years and the procurement is worth EUR 2.6 million euros without tax, the article said. Milković said that in spite of advantages, this kind of transportation cannot replace buses which run on fuel, because it can’t be used in some lines. This is primarily catching the pace of technology, he underscored.